Coaling device for moving trains.



No. 811,425. PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906.

c. M. MILLER. y GOALING DEVICE FOR MOVING TRAINS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 3.1905.

' a SHEETSSHEBT 1.

'c'mjmwzzer Inventor by I I Attorneys No. 811,425. PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906.

G. M. MILLER. GOALING DEVICE FOR MOVING TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3. 1905.

8 $HEBTS-SHEET 2.

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i 7 hi -o1 2 Z3 Z4 J8 Witnes e (I Inventor Wg I Attorneys PATENTED JAN. so, 1906.

C. M. MILLER. GOALING DEVICE FOR MOVING TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED. JULY 3. 1905.

3 SEEETSSHBET 3.

Inventor cliarlesM Witnesses Miller Attorneys citizcnof the United States, residing at Ty supplying fuel to moving trains, and has for and, further, to so arrange the mechanism is set into motion on the approach of the 10- a side elevation of acoal-supp y1ng a paraf NIrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES M. MILLER, OF TYRONE, PENNSYLVANIA.

QOALING DEVICE Fo To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that 1, CHARLES M: MILLER, a

rone, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Coalin Device for Moving Trains, of which' the folFowing is a specification. This invention relates to. mechanism fo its Iprincipal object to provide a device'that wil automatically dump any desired quantity of fuelinto' a locomotive-tender while thetrain is traveling at any speed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which the a proaching train is warned of the fact that t e apparatus is in readiness to supply'fuel,

that the engineer may pass the coaling-station without taking fuel, if he so desires.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a coaling device in which a movable dumping-car arranged on an elevated track comotive and in the advance of the arrival of the locomotive at receiving position, so that the dumping-car will acquire a velocity approximately equal to that of the train to which 0031- is to be su plied and the load dumped with the same acility as though the car and train were at a standstill.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an elevated and movable dumpingcarso arranged as to be temporarily engaged with the locomotive-tender to insure its traveling at the same speed during the dumping operation and to provide means for automaticall disengaging the tender from the car after t e load has been dumped.

With these and. other objects in View, as will more fully hereinafter a pear, the invention consists in certain nove fea res of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying-drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is tus constructed in accordance with t e invention. Fig. 1 illustrates in elevationthe Specification of Letters Patent.

Application'filed July 3, 1905. Serial No- 268,081.

R MOVING TRAINS- Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

right-hand end of the elevated track, being practically a continuation of Fig. 1 and showing also the manner in which the emptied car ascends the ade and is freed from the traincarried mem er. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the dumping-car on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view ofthe car on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.. Figs..4 and 5 are plan views of portions of the car with the parts indifferent positions. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view ofa locomotive-tender, showing the means for engaging the dumpingcar. Fi 7 is a plan view showing the connection %etween the car-locking device and the signal.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondin parts throughout the several figures of the rawings.

In carrying out the invention an elevated structure 10 is arranged at the coaling-station and is provided-with suitable tracks, switches, turn-tables, &c;, for handling the dumpin -cars. This elevated structure is provide with horizontal tracks 1 1, at the opposite ends of which are inclined tracks 12 and 13, respectively, these tracks running to elevated tracks 14, on which the filled. dumping-car is received and on to which it is delivered after the dumping operation. The

car runs from the elevated rails 14 down the sills 16 and supporting-wheels 17, the axles of which-may be connected to the sills in any. 5

suitable manner. Extendin vertically from the opposite ends of the sil s are frames or standards 18 and 19, serving as supports for transverse bars 20, having bearings for the reception of ,the end portions of shafts or spindles 21, on which are hung the two members of a sectional bucket 22. members have inclined bottom portions, provided near their opposite ends with extended fingers 23, arrange are carried by a longitudinally-movable release-rod 26, the lugs passing between the fingers of each pair and serving normally to maintain the sections of the bucket in closed position. When in this position, the upper These bucket J 65 suitable edges of the bucket members are flared outwardly, as indicated at 27, forming a convenient hop r-like entrance into which the coal may be ected the cars being filled from a chute or by hand, if desired.

The release-bar 26f1s slgably filolilllted 1n 'd' -o 29, orm in on p ates 30, gl i nit la l e c r'rieii by the standards 18 and 19, and the outer end of the bar is connected. to a :0 vertical arm 31, carried by a frame 32. This frame includes a cross-bar 33 and side bars 34, arranged in suitable guid' grooves formed in the u per faces of the si ls 16, and

therear end of t e frame is laterally extended 1' 5 to form a pair of arms 36, spaced from each other by a suitable recess 37. The outer ends of the arms 36 are provided with verticallyextending .fianges 38, that form stops for limiting the outward movement of a pair of guid- 20 mg-fingers 39, fulcrumed at 40 to the arms.

These guiding-fingers are provided with curved cam-faces at their adjacent free ends and are connected to rods 41, which when the fingers are moved inward to the dottedline position shown in Fig. 4 will engage against a fixed, sto in order to limit inward movement of sai fingers.- The fingers 39 serve merely as a means for properly guiding an actuating-arm 43, that is. carried by the locomotive-tender, and when this arm aproaches the position shown in Fig. 4 it may e a little to one side of the same and may engage with only one of the fingers 39. case -it will force the finger 39 inward, and,

riding against the curved end thereof, will be ected to a central position and will on age against the central ortion of the wall 0 e recess 37, striking the frame 32 and moving the same inward. This movement is trans- 0 mitted through the arm 31 to therelease-bar 26, and the latter moves to an extentsuflicient to clear the In 24 from the fingers 23 where-v upon the hue ets .move to 0 en osltion by Igravity and the contents be ehvered to the tender. p

To the rear transverse sill of the dumpingcar is pivoted a metallic chute 50, having side flanges 51, the forward ends ofwhich are connected by flexible cables 58 to a counter- 5c weight 59. The cables are guided over suitable sheaves 60, and the counterweight 1s arrangedbetween the standards 19 and the outer plate 61 at the forwardend of the car. The counterweight is sufliclent to malntaln thechute in the horizontal closed 'osition whenem ty; butwhen the bucket is umped the wei tof the coal. strikinga ainst the chute Wlll move thelatter downwar ap roximately to the position shown by otted 66 lines in 2, and the coal will be properly guided to t e coal-box of the tender.

When a car is placed in positionnear the top of the inclined track 12, itis held from movement b a chock-bar 63, adapted to a -opening formed in a small In that I bracket 64 the side of the track. The

outer end of this chock-bar is connected by a bell-crank lever 65 to one end of a cable 66, the' opposite end of which is connected to one end of a lever 67, fulcrumed on a in 68, that is carried by one of the bars of t e elevated structure The outer end of the lever 67 is disposed in the path of movement of theactuatmg-arm 4 3 on the tender, and when said arm comes lnto contact with the lever 67 the chock will be withdrawn from contact with the Wheel of the dum ingcar, allowing the latter to start on its dbwnward movement, and thus accumulate suflicient momentum to approximately equal the speed of travel of the locomotive by the time the latter has caught up with it.

At any. suitable distance from the elevated structure-say a hundred yards or moreie a signal- 0st 71, carrying a 5' al 7 2 'of any desired c aracter, said si al fi' disposed at the upper end of a revo uble sha to suitable bearings at the top of the signalpost." This shaft carries a pair of diametrically-extendin arms 74, that are connected by cables or -c 1 ains 7 5120 a lever 67, the connections with the latter being at a point on oposite sides of the fulcrum-pm 68. These ca- Eles or chains are guided over suitable sheaves of any desired number and are so arranged 73, adapted that when the lever 67 is'in operative position-that is, at a right angle to the track the signal will be in a position to-notif the engineer that a load of coal is waiting. en turned to effect the release of a car, the lever 67 will move the signal 72 to notify the engineer that no lbfad is ready. The resettin mechanism for readjusting the chock-bloc and the signal takes the form of a lever 76, that is arranged at a suitable point on the elevated structure and connected by a cable 77 to the lever 67, this lever bein moved in order to readjust the chock and t e lever 67 to operative position.

At the rear end of the tender is arranged a verticallydisposed bracket 80, having acen- I tral slot 81 for the reception of the lower end of the arm" 43, the latter bein pivotally mounted on a transversely-exten ing pin 84, and its rearward movement being limited by a stop-pin 85. Forward movement of the arm may be prevented by an adjustable lockin'g-lever 86, that is thrown across the front of the slot and held in place by a small standard 87. This lever, however, may be thrown backward in order to allow the ar'm 43fto drop over the tender and remain in ino erative position when it is not desired to ta e coal.

The pin 85, hereinbefore referred to, isslidabl mounted in the bracket'80, and its rear end is by a rock-shaft 89,'adapted to suitable bearings in a standard 90 on the tender. The

rock-shaft also carries a rocker-arm 91 that is connected by a rod 92 to an operating-lever 93 at the front end of the tender, and by pulling on this lever the pin 85 may be removed from the slot, allowingthe arm 43 to fall by gravity and assume the innlperative position.

In the operation of the evice the arm 43 is normally held in elevated position by means 1 of a pin 85, and on approaching a coalihg-staquire suflicient momentum to approximately equal the speed of travel of the train by the time the latter catches up with it. The arm 43 will then strike one or other. of the fingers 39 and will be guided to a central position within the recess 37, strikin the frame 32, and thus movin the release- 'ar 26 until the lugs 24 of the atter have been disenga ed from the fin ers 23. The weight of coa in the bucket t en moves the members thereof to dumping position and the coal falls upon the chute 50, the latter dropping down into the coal-box of the tender, Which at-this time is immediately beneath it. As soon as the coal moves by gravity from the chute the latter is restored to its initial position by the counterweight 59. By this time the dumping-car has arrived at the foot of the ascending incline 13 and the arm 43 forces the car along and gives it a sufiicient impetus to carry the car up the incline or, if desired, the fireman may operate the lever 93 and move pin 85 to release position, allowing the arm 43 to i falland become disengaged from the car. 1

Should the engineer desire to pass without taking coal, the lever 93 is pulled and arm 43 drops to a position below the level of the lever,67.

In order to avoid accidental displacement of the car, auxiliary guard-rails 96 are arranged above the tracks 11, these rails serving to revent the car from 'umpin the track.

Wit an apparatus of t is kind it is possible to supply coal or other material to moving trains Without the necessity of stopping the train or slacking speed, and While the device is intended principally for the delivery of.

coal to the tender of a locomotive it might also be used for the purpose of delivering freight or goods of any character to moving cars.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed i's 1. In apparatus for supplying coal to the tenders of movin railway-trains, an elevated support arrangeil' above the railway-track, and provided with inclined rails, a dumpingcar mounted on the rails, means for locking the dumping-carfrom movement, and a train, carried member for releasing the car in ad'- 'vance of the arrival of the tender thereunder,

permitting the car to descend the inclined rails by gravity, said member serving subse-' quently to engageand move the car, and

the bucket members, a re serving further to trip the dum ing mechanism and ermit the dumping o the load carried by t 0 car.

2. In apparatus of the class described, an elevated structure having an inclined track, a. dumping-car arranged on said inclined track, a chock for holding the samefrom'movement, a lever connected to said chock, and a train-. carried member adapted to engage said lever in advance of the arrival of the tender under the can-permitting the car to descend the inclined track and acquire momentum in advance of the dumpin operation;

3. 'In apparatus 0 the class described, an elevated support, a dumping-car arranged to travel thereon, a sectional bucket having locking-fingers arranged in close relation, a release-bar having lugs engaging said fingers, and an arm carried by the train and arranged to move said bar to release position.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with an elevated support, of a car arranged to travel on the support, a sectional dumping-bucket carried by the car, locking-fingers carried by the bucket members, a release bar having lugs for engaging said fingers, and a-train-carried arm for moving the bar to release position and for moving the car at a speed equal to that of the train.

5. In apparatus of'the class described, the combination with an elevated support, of a car arranged to travel on the-support, a sectional dumping bucket on the car, a tri mechanism for releasing the bucket, a sh able frame for operating said trip mechanism, a pair of fingers carried by the frame and having cam-shaped inner ends, and a traincarried arm arranged .to engage and be guided by said fingers.

6. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with an elevated support, of a car arranged to travel thereon, a sectional bucket on the car, lockin -fi ngers carried by= Iease-bar engaging said fingers, a slidable frame connected to the release-bar, a train-carried arm for engaging such frame and forcing the release-bar to disengaged position, and a pair of guiding-fin-v gers pivoted to the frame and having camshaped free ends for guiding said arm to proper position.

7. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with an elevated frame, of a car arranged to travel on the frame, a sectional dumping bucket on the car, a pivotallymounted counterwei hted chute on the car at a point'below the ucket, and movable to open position under the weight of the contents of said bucket, and a train carried means for releasing the bucket.

8. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with an elevated support, of a car, a sectional bucket carried by the car, a chute pivoted to the lower portion of the car at a point under thebucket, a counterweight for fielding the chute in elevated position when emptywamlim a strain-carried means for releasing the no t an insuring movemen of the car at wspeed equal to that of the 1 said pin and allowing the arm to drop to infiorractloh inLettrs Patent No. 811,425.

operative'position.

10. In apparatus of the class described, the

combination with an elevated structure, of a of the case in the Patent Oflice.

dumping car mounted thereon, means for locking said car from movement, and a signal connected to said locking means.

11. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with an elevated support, of a dumping-car mounted thereon, a signal, and means for automatically moving said in accordance with the position of the car.

In testimony that-I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

' J. H. Jocnml, J12,

H. MILLER.

' a is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 811, i25, granted January 30, 1906, npon the application of Charles LLMiller, of Tyrone, Pennsylvania, for an improvenient in F Coaling Devices for Moving Trains, an error apnears in the :printed specification requiring correction, as followsz Page 3, line 60, after the vvord train, the comma should be stricken out; and that the said Patent should be read with this correction therein, that the same may conform to the record Signed and sealed, this 90; day of August, A. 1),, 1910. r a

a r F. AQTENNANT,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

signal CHARLES M. MHJLEB:

for fielding the chute in elevated position when emptywamlim a strain-carried means for releasing the no t an insuring movemen of the car at wspeed equal to that of the 1 said pin and allowing the arm to drop to infiorractloh inLettrs Patent No. 811,425.

operative'position.

10. In apparatus of the class described, the

combination with an elevated structure, of a of the case in the Patent Oflice.

dumping car mounted thereon, means for locking said car from movement, and a signal connected to said locking means.

11. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with an elevated support, of a dumping-car mounted thereon, a signal, and means for automatically moving said in accordance with the position of the car.

In testimony that-I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

' J. H. Jocnml, J12,

H. MILLER.

' a is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 811, i25, granted January 30, 1906, npon the application of Charles LLMiller, of Tyrone, Pennsylvania, for an improvenient in F Coaling Devices for Moving Trains, an error apnears in the :printed specification requiring correction, as followsz Page 3, line 60, after the vvord train, the comma should be stricken out; and that the said Patent should be read with this correction therein, that the same may conform to the record Signed and sealed, this 90; day of August, A. 1),, 1910. r a

a r F. AQTENNANT,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

signal CHARLES M. MHJLEB:

lt is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 811,425, granted January 30, 1906, upon the application of Charles M. Miller, of Tyrone, Pennsylvania, for an improvement in Cooling Devices for Moving Trains, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: Page 3, line 60 after the word train, the comma should be stricken out; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein, that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 9th day of August, A. Dr, 1910.

F. A. TENNANT,

Acting Oommisswbner of Patents. 

